The set-top box has become an important computing device for accessing media content services and the media content within those services. A set-top box is usually configured to provide users with access to a large number and variety of media content choices offered by a provider. For example, a user may choose to experience a variety of broadcast television programs, pay-per-view services, video-on-demand programming, Internet services, and audio programming via a set-top box.
The large number of media content choices offered by a provider can make it difficult for a user of a set-top box to find and select desired media content. On-screen program guides have alleviated this problem to some degree. A user of a set-top box is able to navigate within a conventional program guide in search of a desired media channel or program. However, as media content providers have expanded and continue to expand the services and media content choices provided to users (e.g., more media content channels), conventional tools for navigating within program guides have become inefficient and less effective. For example, certain conventional program guide tools require repetitive user input, present information in unintuitive and/or overly inclusive ways, and/or are slow to process significant amounts of program guide data typically associated with large numbers of media content choices.